SHB in Michigan

[danno]

Morning All
My name is Dan and I live in Ludington Mi.   A couple of days ago I went through my 4 week  old hives and spotted a couple of small beetles skamper off the bottom of a frame.  I couldn't catch them but stuck a ziplock in my truck if I saw them again.  Last night I checked my hive top feeders and saw one on top of the feeder.  I caught it and it is a small hive beetle.  I didn't think this was something that I was going to have to deal with up here.  I'm sure they came in my packages from Georgia.  I know strong hives can take care of themselves and these are just starting to build up.   Should I taken action and if so what kind should I use?  From what I have read they prefer sandy soil which is not what I have.

[HAB]

A strong hive seems to be able to rid it self of "most" SHBs but traps are available both commercial and self made. "beekeeperlinda.blogspot.com" has a nice vid of her making a SHB trap and she is a member of this forum.  That is what I'm using in one of my three hives.  And I'm using two "WEST SMALL HIVE BEETLE TRAPS" that came with a truck load of empty hives I was given after an Old Beek passed away.  All three traps seem to work roughly equally well. :)

[Scadsobees]

Oh, yeah, they're here to stay... :'(  Mine came from I don't know where ??? a couple of years back.

I usually see a few in the spring, the ones that overwinter.  They don't bother the hives too much as long as the hive stays strong.  In the fall I'll see a few more, and then dead ones over the winter on the SBB.

This early on  I think that they can only survive if they stay warm enough, and if they get into the frames, the bees will abandon that and the larvae will shut down, so they can't get a toehold yet.

Once the warmer weather commences, hopefully the bees are strong enough to fight back.

I've seen quite a few in one of the hives, and a few larvae on the SBB, but not any larvae in the hive.  In my observation hive, on the other hand, where it stays at least 70deg inside...there they thrived (until I cleaned the brood combs out and started over).

As it gets warmer, just keep an eye on them, don't give them any extra comb with pollen or honey that they can't defend, and if you see too many of them then start trapping.

Rick

[MustbeeNuts]

Whatas a good proactive treatment for them, I'm going to dadants in a few mins, thought perhaps to get some ground poisons , and drench the area. I'm in Muskegon ,, if there up there imn ludington, there only a short trip here. better safe than  sorry,

Really sorry to hear about that loss you got. :(

[MustbeeNuts]

Well when I asked dadant about some shb poison for the ground he was shocked, he said they die up here. that it shouldn't be a problem if your hives are strong.  He was out of the stuff anyway so I didn't get any yet. Guess I 'll do the wait and see, I might use the strips if I notice anything and set up a couple home made traps.

Heard you can take a small divided case for like holding screws and stuff, drill a small hole in the top and fill it about half full with veg oil. might do that just to be safe. My bees came from the south also.

[danno]

On Friday I talked to the state inspector and he told me not to worry, that they dont over winter well here. I killed another one this weekend.  I know this is a long shot but when I first saw them there was two together on one frame and I have now killed 2.  Maybe I got them all

[HAB]

Well, if you feel the need, we have plenty of SHB here.  I'm sure no one here would complain if you were to trap and relocate a few. :)

Seriously though, keep an eye out for them.  They have a way of going from two to twenty to two hundred in no time.  Even if they don't "over winter well" in your area. :)

[tim1]

HAB,
     I am located in NJ and received SHB from packages obtained last summer.  I was informed to leave them alone and that they would not winter over in the northern climate.  Glad to report that I have not seen any SHB, so I would imagine that you should be safe and next summer you will forget about your problems with SHB.    :)

[HAB]

Unfortunately, here in South Alabama, SHBs look forward to winter to escape the heat (last winter our lowest temp was only in the low teens and only for a couple of hours then) and have a vacation from all the "work" they've done on our hives. :'( :'( :'(

Got an AJ beatle trap , a foam board we DE, and Combat 12Month Roac Motels encased in #8 wire in each super of all four Hives and West SHB  Traps in two.  And finding more of them each inspection.  The traps and baits are killing them, its just that there so many around here.

[Scadsobees]

HAB,
     I am located in NJ and received SHB from packages obtained last summer.  I was informed to leave them alone and that they would not winter over in the northern climate.  Glad to report that I have not seen any SHB, so I would imagine that you should be safe and next summer you will forget about your problems with SHB.    :)

HA! You were informed wrong!  Thankfully they are knocked way back in the winter, and won't affect a strong hive, but they DEFINATELY overwinter in the north in the cluster.  I've had them in my hives for 3 years, and haven't had a package for 3 years. 

They CAN, WILL and DO overwinter.

Just keep an eye on weak hives.  The beetles really can't do a whole lot until the temps at night are consistently warm.  Otherwise the bees haul them out and they chill to death, or they will abandon that comb and they will chill.  The adult beetles aren't as affected and will  stay in the warm cluster.

[HAB]

Oh, for a good freeze this year!! :)

[Scadsobees]

Oh, for a good freeze this year!! :)

So the SHB survived, but I haven't seen any earwigs yet!!  That's more than an even trade in my book!!!

[Eshu]

Last year I got some SHB larva in a couple nucs from Georgia.  The bees cleaned out some larva, and I later saw two adult beetles that I squished.  Haven't seen any since - luckly.

[tim1]

Scadsobees,

thanks for the heads up on the fact that SHB are able to survive the northern colder temperatures.
I guess I am lucky, as I stated before I have not seen any SHB that overwintered.

again thanks for the reply :)

[BearCreekBees]

Got an AJ beatle trap , a foam board we DE, and Combat 12Month Roac Motels encased in #8 wire in each super of all four Hives

For real?